Time for U.S. to capitalize on Iranian protests

DARAB GANJI

Published
5:30 am CDT, Friday, July 11, 2003

Pro-democracy demonstrations are currently taking place, not only in Tehran and across Iran, but also in major cities throughout the world, including the United States to commemorate the anniversary of the July 9, 1999, Iranian student demonstrations that were also violently suppressed by the mullahs' hired thugs. During the past few weeks, the world has witnessed a vibrant and expanding home-grown democracy movement, which has repeatedly rocked Iran with anti-regime demonstrations. The Iranian people's demands are simple: They want freedom, human rights, economic opportunity and modernity -- all of which the mullah regime is incapable of delivering. Under these circumstances, the United States has an historical opportunity not only to encourage but also to boldly assist the Iranian people in their quest for freedom and democracy.

The tone of the current demonstrations makes it quite clear that Iranians have no hope for reform from within the existing system and thus are looking beyond it and striving for a complete regime change. They are courageously defying the brutality of the ruling mullahs by expressing their legitimate demands through a campaign of civil disobedience and political defiance.

The regime admits to arresting more than 4,000 demonstrators during just the past 20 days, but the actual number runs closer to 8,000. In spite of these arrests, more than 200 student leaders addressed a signed petition to the reformist president, Mohammad Khatami, to take immediate measures to release the demonstrators and stop the atrocities against them or face the wrath of the nation.

The demonstrations include chants of "long live freedom" and "down with the mullahs." Such public vocalizations of underlying feelings are undoubtedly giving chilling nightmares to the ruling clerics. This has led them to cancel university classes three weeks before the end of the school year, postpone final exams to September, ban demonstrations outside university campuses and jam Iranian opposition satellite television channels that resonate the voices of freedom and democracy.

Ironically, concurrent with the pro-democracy uprisings inside Iran, the U.S. Department of State, through two of its highest-ranking authorities and without taking note of the true nature of the election process in Iran, recently asserted that Iran is a democracy governed by elected officials based on the desires of the people. With the current state of affairs and anti-regime demonstrations in Iran, one can only wonder how Foggy Bottom defines a democracy. It is apparent that such pronouncements are being used by the State Department to defend a hands-off policy toward the mullah regime.

On the other hand, the White House is right in supporting the Iranian people and not the mullah regime. Iranians welcomed President George W. Bush's State of the Union addresses of January 2002 and 2003. In one, he branded the clerical rulers in Iran as part of the axis of evil. In the other, while stating that the regime in Iran represses its people, pursues weapons of mass destruction and supports terror, and recognizing that Iranian citizens are today risking intimidation and death as they speak out for liberty, human rights, and democracy, Bush concluded by stating that the United States supports their aspirations to live in freedom.

In view of the escalation of the pro-democracy uprisings in Iran and in light of the mullah regimes nuclear and terrorism threat, their meddling in Iraq and Afghanistan with the intent of fomenting instability, and their diehard intent to derail the Middle East peace process, now is the time for the United States to speak with one voice and follow up Bush's positive rhetoric and expression of moral support with concrete action assisting the democracy movement in Iran.

A policy of support toward the Iranian freedom movement must include logistical, financial and moral support of the same kind that was provided by the United States to Eastern European nations when they were trying to throw off the yoke of totalitarianism.

Ultimately, the Iranian people will succeed and seize their freedom. Nevertheless today, in order to expedite the success of the democracy movement, it is important for the Bush administration to capitalize on this opportunity by supporting the people of Iran and the groups that are working for freedom and democracy in Iran. Doing so would also greatly assist in winning the war on terrorism and best serve U.S. interests.

A truly democratic Iran will be an essential player for stability, security and peace in the volatile Middle East region. Hence, investment by the United States in support of the freedom movement in Iran would yield significant long-term returns.